Pictures

I found a bunch of pictures on my camera from our last month in Mexico. Thought I'd share a few.

This post is pictures from our last trip to South Padre Island in Texas. Michael and I drove to Texas, picked up his parents from the airport, then headed to the island for a couple days. After our little vacation, we went back to Saltillo, Mexico to show Chuck and Kathy our "home," let them experience the Mexican culture, and then we packed up all our belongings and headed back to Michigan.

These are not in a very nice order - I am annoyed because the blog is not allowing me to move my pictures around. Anyone know how to do this?

Beautiful sunsets

Love this sign

Michael wanted to catch a seagull. Notice how close he was to the "road" on the beach. He got some confused looks.

The birds are becoming intrigued by the chips scattered on the towel. But why is the towel breathing, they wonder.

Giving up - probably a bit toasty under a towel in temps over 100

Some say I walk on water.

This was an alarming moment for me - thousands of seagulls swarming around and swooping at my head - it made me very nervous

The seagull hang-out. All the cool birds have their own post.

Chuck watching Michael try to kite board - sweet shades

Went to Colorado, Took 3 pictures

Michael and I went to Colorado this past weekend. We left at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, drove through the night and arrived in Fort Collins at 9:30 am Michigan time. After a couple hours rest at Brandon and Kristin's place, we drove another 2.5 hours to Dillon and went skiing at A Basin. We spent Thursday night at a "classy" motel in Silverthorn and skied Keystone on Friday. Friday night we drove back to Fort Collins, had dinner with Brandon and Kristin, and relaxed at their place. Saturday morning we headed back to A Basin with Brandon. After another day of skiing, we enjoyed a free meal at Chick fil a - then Michael and I hit the road - returning home around 2:30 pm on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but we had a good time.

Here are the three pictures I took in Colorado:

Update

I'm sitting in the hospital with my father-in-law, Chuck, who had surgery yesterday. Last year he had surgery to remove cancer from his kidney. The most recent scan showed that the cancer came back. So they decided to remove the whole kidney this time. Everything went well and he is on the road to recovery. We expect him to be in the hospital until Saturday. Thanks for all your prayers.

Good night, Noche

Last night we had to put my cat, Noche, down. He started acting strange on Sunday - meowing and hissing when he tried to go to the bathroom. By Monday night, he just laid in his litter box. I took him to the vet on Tuesday when I got home from work. He couldn't even lift his head - and he never meowed, which is very uncharacteristic of him. He was the most talkative cat I ever met. The vet said there was a blockage and gave me an estimate of $700 to fix it. As much as I loved him, I couldn't spend that much money, especially not knowing if he would survive. He was in bad shape. I just wanted to put him out of his misery. I held him and petted him and said goodbye.

I don't know why I'm taking this so hard. Last night I couldn't stop crying. This morning I burst into tears when I walked past our stairs and he wasn't there to jump out and swat at my leg then run behind the chair, or when he wasn't waiting for me outside the bathroom door after my shower, and he wasn't there to beg for a drink of water from the sink. I even imagined I saw him sitting on his favorite blanket and I swear I heard muffled meows this morning when I was still in bed.

Noche was annoying. He meowed a lot. He was messy. He didn't just cover his poo, he kicked the litter with a flare I have never seen before, scattering it on the floor. He had emotional issues too, probably from being abandoned by his mother at a very early age on the streets of Mexico. He compulsively licked his paws. And I'm pretty sure he is the culprit who gave me ringworm while we were still living in Mexico.

I loved him anyway. I loved the way he followed me all over the house, sometimes so close I would trip over him. I loved the way he couldn't wait to sit on my lap and snuggle as I watched TV. I loved the way he sometimes meowed with a slight gurgle when he really wanted something - maybe trying to sound more pathetic so I would give in. It usually worked.

But what I'll remember most about Noche is the unconditional love he gave me when I needed it most.

So now I'll cry for a little while. Because I miss him. And I love him. Maybe the menopause drugs are making me even more emotional than what is considered normal; but if you have lost a pet, you probably know how I feel. Best of all, you know how it feels to be loved simply because you are you.

Thank you for that gift, buddy.

Am I losing it?

Well, so far no hot flashes. However, I almost had a meltdown at Kohl's last Saturday. I am not a big shopper. I like to go into a store, find what I need, and move on. It was very busy on Saturday because they had some good sales - plus I had coupons for an additional 20% off so I had to get something! But if you know me, you know how well I handle crowded stores. So I was a bit tense to begin with.

After about 1.5 hours, I had my little cart filled with clothes to try on. On my way to the dressing room, I quickly made a stop to look at a vest. I was only away from my cart for 2-3 minutes and when I came back it was gone! I looked everywhere. I KNEW I left it right there by the striped sweaters - but it was no where to be seen. Then I started flipping out - maybe my memory is already fading. Then I started to feel like I was getting a hot flash. It was so hot in that dumb store. Why did that woman just run right into me!? And where was my cart! I'm losing my mind!

After wandering around, looking quite flustered I'm sure, I gave up on my cart. I found most of the items I was missing - my size mysteriously on the top of each pile. I guess those Kohl's workers don't take too kindly to unattended carts. Lesson learned.

On another note, happy 75th birthday Mom! I love you more than words can say.

Wake me up when October ends

What a month. I am glad it's almost over - but I also have a lot to be thankful for.

It's been a long time since I've updated this blog, but I hope to keep it somewhat timely. A lot of people have been asking how I am so I thought this would be the best way to explain what's been going on for the past month or so.

On September 30 - one day after our 3rd anniversary - Michael and I were riding ATVs up north. He was on the three-wheeler and I was on the quad. We just started our ride through the trails when my quad broke down. So I climbed onto the back of Michael's three-wheeler and we headed back to his place to get tow straps. On our way back to pick up the quad, we dropped the tow strap in a ditch. As we were looking for it, Michael headed up a steep hill and realized we didn't have enough power to make it up. I heard him say "jump off" and he was gone. I tried to jump off but the ATV was already tipping backwards down the ditch. I landed on my stomach and the vehicle rolled onto my back.

As it was happening, I had a feeling there would be serious injuries. My back hurt and I was having a hard time breathing. Michael went to his place to get the car and I laid in the ditch waiting for him to come back. Every time I tried to move, the pain ripped through my back, side, shoulder... I finally managed to sit up. Michael helped me to the car and I rested on the bed for about a half hour. Eventually I was able to walk around and sit in a chair - but the pain in my chest was the most mysterious, since the three-wheeler's handlebars landed on the right side of my back, just below the shoulder blades.

We went for a drive to the fish ladder and I tried to enjoy some "pure Michigan" in the fall, but every bump in the road made me wince. Michael went fishing that evening by himself. I tried to go out for dinner but we had to turn around because I was in too much pain. I went to bed, hoping I would feel better in the morning.

The next morning, Michael woke up early to go deer hunting - it was opening day, after all. I woke up and told him that I wanted to go home and that I needed to at least get some pain meds. On the way home, I made an appointment to see a doctor. The doctor ordered a chest X-ray, we picked up some pain pills, and we headed to our kick-ball game. Michael was still trying to get me to play - but since taking a breath caused a sharp pain to shoot up my chest I decided to sit this one out. They lost, by the way!

The next morning I got a call from the doctor. He told me to head to the ER immediately. I had a CAT scan that revealed a pneumothorax (partially collapsed lung), lacerations on my liver, and at least 4-5 rib fractures. I spent three nights in the hospital. The reason I had so much pain in my chest was due to the collapsed lung and some internal bleeding. Thankfully, the pneumothorax slowly healed itself and I did not need a chest tube.

On October 20, I had surgery (which was planned before the accident) for endometriosis. I'm just going to be real candid - not sure who reads this - but I'm just going to tell it like it is. I have been having severe cramps during menstruation for quite a few years. I know that many women complain about cramps, so I wondered if I was being a baby about mine and this is just how it feels for everyone, or if there was something more going on. So I lived with it. I also had some blood in my stool during my period, which was getting progressively worse as time went on. I finally scheduled an appointment with an OBGYN. After trying other treatments that did not work - some because we thought it could be irritable bowel syndrome - he decided to schedule me for surgery to see if I have endometriosis.

I have stage 4 endometriosis - which is the worst stage. For those who do not know (I sure didn't) this is a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other areas of the body. Every month, this tissue acts like the tissue in the uterus, causing it to bleed, form scar tissue, and sometimes fuse organs together - which was happening in my case. My uterus was attached to my bladder and my bowels. The doctor said that the tubes going from my ovaries to my uterus were in the wrong place and crooked. However, he was surprised that the tubes were not blocked. He removed as much endometrium cells as possible during surgery, but this is a condition that has no real cure. It will come back. He said removing that tissue is similar to mowing grass with dandelions. The seeds have been planted and it will return.

To delay this process, I will have a shot once a month for the next 6 months. This will send my body into temporary menopause, allowing my reproductive organs time to heal. Sounds lovely, huh? This usually comes with side effects like hot flashes, moodiness, increased risk of osteoporosis... I'm getting concerned because I'm hungry right now and it's only 4:30 pm. I wonder if this will also increase my desire to catch all the early bird specials so I can be home in time to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. I'm already driving around my parent's Lincoln Town car because the battery in my car died - but I don't think I've been driving too slow in the left-hand lane or anything like that. At least not yet.

I had my first shot yesterday - I was appalled by how large it was and the fact that it goes in my hip. It was sore yesterday, but it feels fine today. Hopefully the surgery combined with this treatment will help my body heal so I don't have to suffer as much each month. It was getting unbearable. The doctor said the length of time women feel relief varies. Some women go for years until their symptoms return - for others it can return in a matter of months. Let's pray for many years, shall we?

There are still a lot of unknowns. Not sure how my body will respond to treatment, not sure about infertility, not sure how long this will help me... I am thankful that we figured out what was going on, though. Please pray for peace and healing. And a prayer of thanks that my injuries from the accident were not more severe and that I am finally starting to feel better.

Hello Michigan!

It's been a while since I've updated, mostly due to the loss of my computer. It was confirmed that my hard drive is shot, so now I will be searching for a new laptop. If anyone has advice on what to get, please let me know!

The trip back to Michigan went much better than anticipated. Our rental van was packed to the ceiling. The kayak was shoved between the seats. Boxes and luggage were shoved in every corner. The four dogs were crammed in their cage - there was only enough room for three to lay down at a time so there was always one annoyed dog growling under her breath. And the cat clawed his way out of his little carrier 30 minutes into the trip - so he got to sit on my lap or curl up under the car seat the whole time. Despite the cramped quarters, the animals behaved well and we made it home without to many crazy stories.

We have been home for about two weeks now, and are very happy to be settling back into our routines. Most of the boxes are unpacked. The house has been dusted and de-cobwebbed. I love sleeping in my own bed and I especially love taking a warm shower without the fear of the water shutting off at any minute. Last week I was a counselor at South Olive Bible Camp. I had a great group of girls in my cabin and we had a wonderful week. I'm glad I had the opportunity to get back in time to be involved at camp this year.

I'm also glad we got home in time to see my nephew Drew get married. My sister's youngest son was married this past Friday. Welcome to the family to my newest niece, Tracy! Don't worry. Your gift is coming!